Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – Peter O'Toole, best known for playing the title role in the 1962 film "Lawrence of Arabia," died on Saturday, December 14. He was 81.

Hide Caption

1 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole embraces his wife, actress Sian Phillips, circa 1961. They were married in 1959 and stayed together for two decades.

Hide Caption

2 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole's first major film success came in the title role of T. E. Lawrence in "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962. It earned him the first of eight Academy Award nominations.

Hide Caption

3 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole waits backstage on the opening night of "Hamlet" at the Old Vic Theatre in London on October 22, 1963. Born in Ireland and raised in England, O'Toole's acting career began on stage in England as a teenager.

Hide Caption

4 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – In 1964, O'Toole played the role of King Henry II in "Becket," opposite Richard Burton as Thomas Becket. Both men were nominated for the best actor Oscar for the film, but both lost.

Hide Caption

5 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole relaxes at home on February 15, 1965.

Hide Caption

6 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – Wendy Craig and O'Toole rehearse for "Ride a Cock Horse" by playwright William Barrow on June 23, 1965.

Hide Caption

7 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole circa 1965. "Ireland, and the world, has lost one of the giants of film and theatre," Irish President Michael D. Higgins said in a statement.

Hide Caption

8 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – Katharine Hepburn stars opposite O'Toole in the 1968 film "The Lion in Winter." His role as Henry II earned him another Oscar nomination.

Hide Caption

9 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole's fourth Oscar nomination came in 1969 for the role of a shy English school teacher in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips."

Hide Caption

10 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – He was again nominated for best actor for his portrayal of the 14th Earl of Gurney in the 1972 movie "The Ruling Class."

Hide Caption

11 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole's leading role in the 1980 film "The Stunt Man" brought him a sixth best actor nomination from the Academy. Steve Railsback, right, also starred in the film. It was seen as a comeback for O'Toole, whose battle with alcohol addiction hampered his career in the 1970s.

Hide Caption

12 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole mocked his own image as an over-the-hill, alcoholic matinee idol in the 1982 film "My Favorite Year." He was again nominated for best actor.

Hide Caption

13 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole accepts his honorary Oscar from actress Meryl Streep during the 75th Academy Awards in 2003. The engraving on the gold statuette reads: "Whose remarkable talents have provided cinema history with some of its most memorable characters."

Hide Caption

14 of 15

Photos:Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole

Oscar-nominated actor Peter O'Toole – O'Toole's role as an aging, out-of-work actor obsessed with a young woman played by Jodie Whittaker in the 2006 film "Venus" earned him his final Oscar nomination. He holds the record for the most Academy Award acting nominations without a win.